


The Halloween Hunt

by The_Jashinist



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Drug Use, Gen, Gore, HEY LET'S HAVE SOME FUCKED UP FUN, Halloween, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, It's Halloween, Short, i'm gonna be gross on halloween, look guys just, seven part fic, this is a gross one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2019-01-27 16:41:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12586188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Jashinist/pseuds/The_Jashinist
Summary: Scarecrow kidnaps Damian and gives five batkids a game to find them.  Apparently, this game has been played before, and apparently, it's never been won.





	1. The Clues

Dick heard a gun cock behind him and he shot a glare at Jason.  The glare that was returned was a mild comfort.  It was a “I’m not going to hit the vitals” kind of look.  Dick sighed, it was better than the look Damian had on his face that made him pray Crane had brought a weapon, and goggles.

But knowing that man he probably had both.  Dick looked around the clocktower, hoping to spot the familiar long-limbed psychiatrist up on the catwalks before he found them.  It was easier to hide from him if you knew where he was.

“How will we know he’s here?” Duke looked at Dick for direction, and Jason replied.

“When someone starts singing, we’ll know how fucked we are by what’s being sung.”

“Jason, you should be a motivational speaker,” Tim remarked.

“Shut up Red.”

Tim backed into a corner and looked up.  Dick recognized the motion, Crane had taught it to Tim.  It was a method of finding someone that would make it hard for them to appear behind him.  The downside is unless you could get out of the corner, you were a sitting duck, probably why only Tim knew how to do it.

Dick didn’t want to tell Tim Crane could absolutely drop down in the gap between him and the actual corner.

Or that he was, upside down, with a rope tied around his ankle.

The lengths this man went to scare the shit out of people.

“Red, darlin, it works better when you’re actually touching the corner,” Crane announced his presence, making Tim whirl around with a startled yelp.  Crane tapped his heel on the wall and the rope pulled him back up before anyone could make a move.

“Fuck me sideways,” Jason muttered, “he’s not alone.”

“Now why would I do that?” Crane asked, his voice echoing about the room, “Honestly Jay, you think I’m that stupid?”

“I think whoever’s up there with you has no idea what they signed up for,” Duke shouted.

“Hm, good point,” admitted Crane, there was the bang of a gun, and a thud, “problem solved.”

“Can I kill him?” Damian asked.

“I’m not gonna kill him,” Jason replied, “so no.”

“He just shot someone,” Damian argued.

“To be fair I shot a drug dealer,” Crane pointed out.

“You’re not helping your case up there!” Tim shouted.  There was clanking along the catwalk, then it stopped, and then Crane started humming.

“Ah fuck,” Jason muttered.

“Lizzie Borden took an axe...”

“Not the hatchet!” Tim started for the door, “I haven’t slept enough for the hatchet!”  Tim grabbed the door handles and shook them, locked.

“I hate him sometimes,” Dick admitted.

“...Gave her mother forty whacks...”

“ _Now_ can I kill him?” Damien asked.

“ _No_ ,” Jason snarled.

“...And when she saw what she had done...”

Crane dropped down behind Damien, a hatchet raised over his head.

“...She gave her father forty- _one_!”

Crane swung the axe at Damien’s head, and Jason quickly shot the hatchet out of Crane’s hand.  Damien turned, a hand raised to punch Crane.  Crane caught his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back.

“Tut-tut little birdy,” Crane teased, “you’ll have to do better than that if you actually want to hit me.”

“Go to hell,” Damian snarled.

“Cute,” Crane praised, then there was a click, and Dick realized Crane had a gun held against Damian’s back, “You know I won’t shoot but I don’t trust you not to, sorry Jay.”

“That’s a reasonable point,” Jason lowered the gun he was holding.

“Let him go Jon,” Tim begged.

“Play first, Robin after,” Crane replied, “Let’s see, four brilliant boys and one sneaky little girl on the catwalks.  Hi Steph!”

“Hi Jon!” Steph shouted from the catwalks.

“I think we have enough players,” Crane slammed the butt of the gun into the back of Damien’s neck, “five kids, five pills,” Crane tossed the gun to Jason and slung Damian over his shoulder, “I think you know how this works.”

“Clues Crane, clues,” Jason snapped.  Crane scoffed and used spare crates to get up to the catwalk, Steph tensed.

“Alright,” Crane shrugged, “the Jester laughs along the bridge, Honeysuckle grows at Marley’s Ridge,” Crane hopped onto the catwalk railing, “Venom poisons Amusement Mile, Rebirth speaks of Crocodiles, Alice is in a sea of domes, the child that Screams is found at home.”

Crane wrapped his wrist around a rope overhead and swung to the window above the door.

“Good luck,” he added, and disappeared out the window.

Jason looked at Steph.

“You just made this harder,” he commented.

“That was six hints,” Steph muttered, looking very confused.

Dick sighed, this would be a long night.


	2. The First Clue

**The Jester Laughs Along the Bridge**

Gotham Bay Bridge, the most obvious clue, probably why Jon had put it first.  A Scarecrow was propped up in place of one of the lamp posts, a gruesome Jack-o-Lantern for a head.  Taped to the front was a letter in Jon’s scrawling script.  Steph didn’t know what this game was, but she already didn’t like it.

Steph pulled the letter off and read it out loud.

_Rules for Newcomers:_

_This is Drug Hunt, a game where you hunt down six illegal and dangerous club drugs I’ve hidden around Gotham in six locations._

“I hate Drug Hunt,” Jason muttered like it wasn’t the first time he’d played this.

_The rules are simple, follow the five clues I laid out for you, in order, and collect a single pill of each drug before the night is over, or the sixth drug goes into the hostage._

“This is fucked up,” Duke commented.

“A bit,” Tim agreed, “but he plans for this one so we have to play along.”

_I know when you’re not going in order, and you can’t just go to the last clue, Tim and Jason learned that one the hard way._

“Yeah thanks Jason,” Tim raised his voice.

“How was I supposed to know if you went straight to the last clue he gave the hostage the drug because you didn’t succeed?” Jason yelled.

_Also, for every two hours that pass, someone has to take one of the pills you already have.  I don’t care who, but you have to take it.  I’ll know if you cheat.  Dick learned that one the hard way too._

“And THANKS DICK,” Tim shouted.

“You drink Monster mixed with Death Wish coffee don’t you dare come to me complaining about being drugged,” Dick shouted.

“I feel like a club drug is worse,” Duke commented.

“ _That’s because it is worse_ ,” Tim growled.

“Guys,” Steph said firmly, then kept reading.

_If you make it to the end early, good for you, if you’re late, well you’ll be heavily drugged and have a drugged-up hostage._

_Each drug will be harder to get than the last._

_Have fun!_

_-Scarecrow_

“So, what are we looking for this time?” Jason asked.

“The Jester laughs along the bridge,” Duke recounted.

“That’s Jester,” Dick commented, “then Honeysuckle, Venom, Rebirth, and Alice.”

“What about the last clue?” Steph asked.

“Always where we find Jon and which drug the hostage will take if we don’t make it in time,” Tim replied, “in this case: Scream.”

“And if I’m right,” Jason pulled open the scarecrow’s shirt and dug into the straw until he withdrew a wrapped newspaper parcel, “yup, here it is.”

Jason unwrapped the parcel and withdrew a plastic baggie with a single green pill and a very bloody human ear.

“Oh that’s just...lovely,” Dick praised.

“This is Jon we’re talking about,” Jason commented, throwing the ear over the bridge, “okay, next stop: Marley’s Ridge.”

“Can we take ten seconds to explain the weirdly named club drugs?” Duke asked, “Because you’re all talking, and I understand about half of it.”

“There are a bunch of drugs exclusive to Gotham,” Jason began.

“Sold by Bane,” Tim continued.

“Jonathan Crane happens to be Bane’s manufacturer,” Dick added.

“Basically, as long as it isn’t Venom, Jon’s making it,” Steph finished.

“Jester,” Jason held up the baggie, “is Joker Toxin, but severely watered down.”

“Honeysuckle is a form of Ivy’s pheromone,” Tim recalled.

“Rebirth is some kind of variation or Lazarus Water,” Dick added.

“Alice is a form of a hallucinogen Hatter uses,” Steph finished.

“And Scream is...Fear Toxin?” Duke guessed.  The other four nodded.  “Is this just an excuse to Fear Gas Damian?”  Duke asked.

“No last year it was Jester,” Tim replied, “I know it was Jester because _I had to take it_.”

Tim glared at Jason, who looked...honestly like he didn’t give a shit.

“So we need to hurry,” Duke translated.

“Yep,” Dick nodded, “to Marley’s Ridge.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: Villain, Halloween, fucked up.
> 
> That is all.
> 
> Also: this year Halloween was a little rushed, I wanted to give you guys something Halloween related but didn't have the forethought to plan or start it before Halloween, hence why this is being extended to the 6th. Good news is my friends are giving me ideas for next year. Better news is: You get a Christmas special!
> 
> I almost never do Christmas stuff because I'm pagan as fuck so appreciate it.


	3. The Second Clue

**Honeysuckle Grows at Marley’s Ridge**

Marley’s Ridge was a cliff near Arkham.  It was a very tall cliff.

The scarecrow was stuck at the very top of Marley’s Ridge, and at the bottom, spray-painted onto the cliff-face, was a simple message:

_ONE CLIMBER NO HOOKS_

Steph marched right up to the cliff and started climbing it.  She was the best climber, so it made sense.

“Ooh, Spoiler takes charge,” came a loud voice above the cliff, “I like it.”

Steph pulled herself onto a ledge and noticed a small note scribbled onto the wall.

_We never stop to see how far we’ve come until we’re halfway there._

Steph turned and looked back at the boys, then gasped.  From halfway up, she could see the lights in Gotham were flickering to spell out a message.

_Halfway is all the way._

Steph turned and noticed a small alcove near her.  She edged towards it and peered inside.  A small bowl sat in the alcove with a whole mess of candy inside and a little note taped to the front:

_Take one_

Steph dug into the bowl and pulled out a Ziploc baggie with a small greenish-yellow pill inside.

Steph turned and held up the baggie for the boys to see and noticed Tim was cheering and clapping loudly.

Steph checked her watch.

They were an hour in, and had two pills down.

They were going to make it.

“Congrats kids!” came the voice again, then added, almost jokingly, “One of you pays attention.”

Steph made her way back down and a figure strode out to lean on the scarecrow at the top of the ridge, his smug face and green suit were unmistakable.

“If you make it to the end, I’ll give you some of the candy,” Riddler offered with a wave, “might help with the drugs.  Scratch that, will help with the drugs.”

“This will be so much easier with five people,” Jason muttered, bewildered.

“So,” Steph handed the pill to Jason, “where to next?”

“Venom poisons Amusement Mile,” Tim recalled, “guess we’re off to search there.”

“That’s going to take at least an hour,” Jason muttered.

“We’ve got nine hours,” Steph remarked, “and we’ve already got two of the pills.”

Jason nodded.

“Let’s go,” he said.


	4. The Third Clue

**Venom Poisons Amusement Mile**

Jason hated amusement parks, he hated clowns.  Amusement Mile was both of these things.  Jason hated Amusement Mile.

Jason looked at each stall and paused.  He was getting nowhere just looking at the stalls blankly.  Jon had methods.  He left clues.  He never really liked making anyone take the drugs.

“Venom poisons Amusement Mile,” he muttered, continuing down the fairway, “he hasn’t drugged anyone with the Venom so I’d find it...where you poison places.  Water!  The center fountain!”

Jason ran to the fountain and whooped with delight to find a scarecrow perched atop it.  He leaned over the water and found, spelled in pennies, another message.

_HAVE A GOOD AIM_

Jason stood up straight and looked around.

“Jason!” Tim jogged up to the fountain and stopped to catch his breath, “We’re almost at two hours, got any leads?”

Jason gestured to the water.

“Have a good aim?” Tim frowned.

“Did you pass any set up carnival booths?” Jason asked.  Tim shook his head.

“Someone else would’ve messaged if they had,” he added.  Jason and Tim turned to the final fairway, the one you didn’t go down.  the one that approached Joker’s tent.

Tim took a deep breath and started down the fairway, Jason followed.  About halfway down, they found a lit-up balloon dart booth with a card on top.

_Inquire Within for Rules_

Tim took the card and opened it, reading the contents out loud.

“Take turns throwing darts at the board until you find the pill you seek.  All finders must participate.  No one may join once the game has begun.  If you pop a balloon with contents, you must hold the contents in your mouth for one minute.  Nothing is toxic or psychotropic because Jonny wouldn’t let me play like that, but they are all gross.  HINT: The Venom pill is in the complimentary-colored balloon.  Good luck, Joker.”

“I might shoot him,” Jason picked up a dart and tossed it at the board.  It hit a red balloon with a pop, and an eyeball plopped onto the counter below.  Tim snorted.

“Pretty sure the contents are also mostly in the complimentary-colored balloons,” he remarked as Jason hopped over the counter and picked up the squishy sphere.  He considered himself lucky he was wearing gloves.

“I’ll time it,” Tim promised, “go on.”

Jason popped the eyeball in his mouth and shuddered.  It was cold, slimy, and tasted putrid.  Jason wanted so badly to spit it out, but he had to hold it there.  Jason slowly backed up to the counter so Tim could take his shot.  Nothing was in the balloon he hit, lucky brat.

“You can spit it out now,” Tim added.  Jason opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue, the eyeball slowly slid off and onto the ground with a loud, sickening splat.

Jason threw a dart, nothing.

Tim threw a dart, a small tub of some edible, non-newtonian fluid.  Tim was tense and disgusted for a good several minutes after spitting it out.

Jason threw a dart, a tongue.

Tim threw a dart, an ear.

Jason threw a dart, nothing.

Tim threw a dart, and a Ziploc hung behind the balloon with a dark green pill inside.  Tim ripped the Ziploc off the wall and heaved a loud sigh.

“No more gross stuff,” he whispered with delight.

Then Jason’s watch went off.

“Two hours,” Jason translated.

“No one else is around one of us has to take a pill,” Tim reminded Jason.

“I’ll do it,” Jason pulled out the baggie with Jester inside.

“I’ve taken it before let me,” Tim insisted.

“Videotape me and use it as blackmail,” Jason suggested, then popped the pill into his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot about today.


	5. The Fourth Clue

**Rebirth Speaks of Crocodiles**

Crocodiles, Gotham Sewer, it had taken Dick a minute.

Well, a minute and Jason cackling about this one really funny story about Killer Croc.  There was a small use to Jason on Jester.

A small one.

Tim looked ready to puke, and Steph and Duke were uneasy.  This was Tim’s first time properly playing, but he knew how the hunt worked.  It was just Jon occupying as many rogues as possible for Halloween night.  Amusement Mile kept Joker and Harley busy, Marley’s Ridge had been set up by Riddler and Firefly, this task would have Killer Croc and Killer Moth, Dick could already tell.

Dicks stepped into a round room half filled with sewage, it smelled putrid, and painted into the wall was last year’s clue.  Jon had reused it for this year, since Jason had decided to skip out before they’d gotten to the sewers, it had literally been the second clue.

_ROUND AND ROUND._

Dick looked up at the fan at the top of the room and shot his grappling hook into it.  The fan stalled, and Duke took this opportunity to grab a blade.  He looked a little goofy hanging from it like that.

Then Dick’s line broke. And the fan started moving again.  Duke let out a loud yell as he began spinning, and Jason began laughing hysterically.  Tim responded to this by promptly chucking a batarang into the fan, making it come to a stop.

“I hate all of you,” Duke panted, “especially Jason.”

“Jason’s high as a kite at the moment,” Steph commented from where she was holding Jason.  Duke reached into the fan’s motor and pulled out a plastic bag with a neon green pill in it.

“All of these pills are green,” Duke commented.

“All of these drugs are green,” Dick countered, helping Duke down, “Alice is blue, if that makes you feel better.”

“It doesn’t,” Duke replied, “I don’t even get the clue.  ‘Alice is in a sea of domes’ means?  The only sea of domes I can think of is the Lexcorp Carpark.”

“Ding ding,” Drury Walker sang as he skipped in, “we have a winner.

“Hi Drury,” Steph waved.  Drury waved back.

“You’re making good time,” he remarked, checking his watch, “that’s rare.  Though if I recall last time you didn’t have a drugged-up kid but still four to spare.”

“Thanks,” Dick muttered.

“You want a way out?” Drury asked, “I know shortcut.”

“How do we know you’re not here to stall us?” Tim asked.

“He’s not allowed to,” Steph answered, “the point of this game is to play not get five kids hopped up on drugs.”

Jason fell into another laughing fit.

“You know it’s very hard to believe that considering you have a drugged-up kid leaning on you for support,” Duke commented.

“No, she’s right,” Drury shrugged, “Jonny wants to play fair, and the sewers are a labyrinth.”

“Alright,” Dick nodded, “Lead the way Moth.”

Drury gave a low bow, “With pleasure.”


	6. The Fifth Clue

**Alice is in a Sea of Domes**

Steph kicked the vent open and dropped into the carpark, it was all decked out like Wonderland.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

Steph pulled off her mask and looked at the bottle, inside was what smelled like marshmallow vodka and tied to it was a note.

_Mask off, Alice enters and leaves with Alice_.

“You’re the only one who can qualify,” Dick shouted down, “the rest of us aren’t Jervis’s criteria.”

“Blondes aren’t exactly his criteria either,” Steph pointed out.

“Yeah but the only other potentials are being held hostage and drugged,” Duke added.

“You three are a bunch of babies!” Steph shouted.  Jason’s cackling drifted down the vent, growing louder until Jason, without his mask, landed on the ground in front of Steph.

“Really?” Steph shouted.

“Just in case!” Tim called down.

Steph heard footsteps and turned around.  Jervis Tetch rounded the corner, inspecting the two batkids before pointing to Steph and beckoning her to follow.  He walked back around the corner and Steph hesitated before following.

They were making good time.  At this rate, they’d make it to Damian before anyone else had to take something.

“Did you know it’s almost hour four?” Jervis hummed, looking at his watch, “Just a few minutes.”

Steph shuddered, “No, I didn’t.”

“Well with your drug keeper down here, I figure I’ll give you Alice on one condition.  You take it as soon as you get out.”

“That’s it?” Steph frowned.

Jervis stopped at a tea table and sat down in a high-backed chair that had been turned to face Steph.

“That’s it,” he nodded, “of course I could give you the puzzle March Hare wanted you to solve.  Well, I have to anyway, not sure where Alice is.”

Jervis swiveled around to the table, where four teapots sat, “Alice sleeps in a teapot, a dormouse sleeps in another, a drink in another and tea in a fourth.  Pick Alice, you get Alice.  Do clean out the dormouse if you find it and drink a cup if you find a drink, or tea.”

Jervis smiled, “I’m watching.”

Steph looked at each teapot, then gingerly lifted the lid on a small blue one.  Inside was a clear liquid that smelled suspiciously like alcohol.  Steph replaced the lid and took a teacup from the table, then stopped, staring at the bottom of the cup:

_You’ve been poisoned_

Steph felt a prick on the back of her neck and she felt herself going numb.  She fell onto the ground and glared up at her attacker.  Mary Dahl smirked down at her.

“You didn’t really think March Hare would hire me to help, did you?” Jervis asked, “Oh no, no, no, he doesn’t trust me to play along with his game.”

Steph was wide awake, but she couldn’t move a muscle.

This was bad.

“JERVIS!” an axe hurtled into the room and smashed a teapot, spilling the clear liquid inside all over the table.  Jervis and Mary bolted, and Steph watched Jon walk out onto the table and pull the axe out.

“YOU BETTER RUN!” he bellowed after the retreating villains, “IF I CATCH YOU MEDDLIN’ AGAIN I’LL BEAT Y’ALL TO THE FUCKIN’ MOON.”

Jon turned and lifted Steph, sticking a needle into her neck.

“Consider your pill for the fourth hour exempt,” he said bluntly, “Jervis was _not_ supposed to mediate this puzzle.  Here,” Jon clapped a baggie into her hand, inside was a dark blue pill, “see you at home.”

Jon disappeared the way he came, and Steph sat up, sore and dizzy.  She looked at the baggie and stood.  On it was written in neat lettering:

_Clue Five complete, come home._

Steph took a deep breath and started towards the vent.  Home for Scarecrow was an easy one: Gotham Clocktower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jervis's intent was murder, so we're clear.


	7. The Sixth Clue

**The Child that Screams is Found at Home**

Jon clapped as the five walked in, a grin plastered across his face.

“Well done,” he praised, “sorry about the fudging with the fifth task, I sent Drury to find the real mediators.  How are you feeling Steph?”

“Lousy,” Steph replied.

“Well, you’re alive, and one more puzzle, because as always, there’s a puzzle.”

“Sure,” Duke nodded, “sounds about right, what’s the puzzle?”

“Home means two things,” Jon smirked, “for me it means the clocktower, what does it mean for Damian?”

Duke’s mouth dropped open and Jon fell into a fit of giggles.

“Are you saying this whole thing was set up to dick with us and Damian’s fine?” Dick shouted.

“No, no,” Jon shook his head, “I didn’t take Damian home until you finished the fifth task.  We were following you around all night.  I totally would’ve drugged him if you’d tried to cheat, which oddly Damian was totally okay with.”

“I’m never gonna look at oobleck the same way again and Damian was perfectly okay with being drugged,” Tim muttered.

“Yeah I’ll leave Joker out next year that little balloon game was kinda...gross,” Jon shrugged, “also I’m taking out the drug requirement because Jervis has caught onto my game and also Jason on Jester is not funny.”

Jason, a little too sore after coming off the drug, grunted angrily.

“Also, Batman yelled at me when he found out I did it.”

“Wait,” Duke raised his voice, “BATMAN LET YOU DO THIS?”

“He lets me do it every year,” Jon shrugged, “keeps most of the rogues out of trouble and also, he thinks watching you run around like idiots is funny.”

“HE LETS YOU DRUG US.”

“He expects you guys to play by the rules,” Jon answered, and then gave a wave, “Head home kids, Happy Halloween.”

“I’m gonna kill him!” Tim shouted, starting for the door.

“Tim wait I’ll buy you a pumpkin spice latte with three expresso shots!” Jon shouted after him.  Tim marched back in and crossed his arms.

“You guys can go,” he grumbled, and the other four filed out.

“Happy Halloween!” Jon shouted again as the doors slammed shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I PLAYED ALL OF YOU

**Author's Note:**

> Take this for what it is, Jon being fucked up on Halloween. He's still a villain there's still evil to be done.
> 
> I wrote most of this in one day it's not good.


End file.
